Author Archives: Editor

Coronavirus rips into region’s economies

MARCH 11 (The Bulletin) — Fresh economic data showed the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the economies of Central Asia and the South Caucasus. In Kyrgyzstan, the National Statistics Committee said that the economy was 8.9% smaller in Jan. and February this year compared to the same period in 2020; in Kazakhstan, economy minister Aset Iragliev said that GDP had shrunk by 2.9% in the year to end-Feb; in Azerbaijan, the State Statistics Agency said that the economy was 3.2% smaller now than last year.

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— This story was published in issue 475 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on March 15 2021

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021

Pakistan offers Uzbekistan access to its ports

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MARCH 11 (The Bulletin) — On a two day visit to Pakistan, Uzbek foreign minister Abdulaziz Kamilov talked up the potential of Pakistan’s ports at Karachi and Gwadar as “gateways to Central Asia”. The landlocked Central Asian republics are continually looking for ways to get access to the sea. The ports at Karachi and Gwadar are being upgraded by China as part of its Belt and Road Initiative. Sending goods through them would give Central Asian manufacturers direct access to the Indian Ocean.

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— This story was published in issue 475 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on March 15 2021

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021

Georgian government support for banks can no longer be relied upon -Fitch

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MARCH 11 (The Bulletin) — In a report on government support for banks in Emerging Markets, Fitch the ratings agency said that Georgia could “no longer be relied upon” to prop up its banks because of legislation that it introduced in Jan. 2021. Georgia introduced bail-in legislation that forces creditors and bondholders of banks to accept more risk.

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— This story was published in issue 475 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on March 15 2021

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021

German MP resigns over corruption allegations linked to Azerbaijan

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MARCH 11 (The Bulletin) — Mark Hauptmann, a German MP from Chancellor Angela Merkel’s CDU party, resigned his position after being accused of receiving cash from Azerbaijan to promote its interests. Spiegel magazine said that Mr Hauptmann had used his position as the editor of a regional newspaper to promote Azerbaijan’s agenda in 2015 and 2018. He has denied the accusations. In January, a court in Italy sentenced former MEP Luca Volonte to four years in prison for taking bribes from Azerbaijan.

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— This story was published in issue 475 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on March 15 2021

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021

Tajikistan celebrates Day of the Media despite poor press freedom record

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MARCH 11 (The Bulletin) — Media activists criticised the Tajik government for celebrating a Day of the Media despite having one of the world’s worst media freedom records. During the day, six journalists were given awards. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has lodged a complaint with the authorities after two of its journalists were attacked at the end of February while investigating stories about fuel prices increases.

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— This story was published in issue 475 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on March 15 2021

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021

Azerbaijan’s daily oil production will increase -EIA

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MARCH 11 (The Bulletin) — The US Energy Information Agency (EIA) increased its forecast for Azerbaijan’s oil production to 770,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2021, up 40,000bpd from an earlier forecast. The increase is linked to a relaxation of oil production limits that the Saudi-led oil cartel OPEC and its FSU supporters, Russia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, introduced last month. Limits had been imposed to push up oil prices. In 2020, during the oil production limits, Azerbaijan had produced 710,000bpd. Oil revenues form the backbone of Azerbaijan’s economy.

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— This story was published in issue 475 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on March 15 2021

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021

UNICEF Armenia chief is accused of spying

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YEREVAN/MARCH 11 (The Bulletin) — UNICEF withdrew its country chief to Armenia, Marianne Clark-Hattingh, after she was accused by Armenian media of spying for Azerbaijan and Britain.

With tension running high in Armenia since it lost a war for control of Nagorno-Karabakh against Azerbaijan last year, Armenian media reported that prosecutors had started investigating the spy allegations against Ms Clark-Hattingh.

UNICEF refuted the allegations against Ms Clark-Hattingh and said that it had taken the decision to withdraw her as a precaution.

In Geneva, Stephane Dujarric, a spokesman for the UN Secretary General said that UNICEF and the Armenian government had agreed that Ms Clark-Hattingh would complete her assignment in Armenia next month and then be replaced.

“She is a highly qualified, extremely experienced and committed development professional, who has previously served with UNICEF at Headquarters, as well as being the Representative in Malaysia and other posts in places such as Somalia, Guinea, Benin and Madagascar,” he said.

But Mr Dujarric appears to be covering up a row between UNICEF and the Armenian government over Ms Clark-Hattingh’s work.

On March 9, the Armenian government had said that it was disappointed with her work and that she should be replaced.

“UNICEF’s Representative in Armenia Marianne Clark-Hattingh’s failures in the implementation of her mandate and her uncooperative conduct were problematic for the Armenian side, hence the Government of Armenia made a decision to suspend Clark-Hattingh’s tenure as UNICEF’s Representative in Armenia,” a spokesperson for the Armenian foreign ministry said.

Ms Clark-Hattingh has not commented.

Her profile on the UNICEF website has now been taken down, although a cached version said that she had only been the Armenia UNICEF country chief since July 2020. Her Twitter account has also been deleted.

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— This story was published in issue 475 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on March 15 2021

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021

Activists try to block Armenian parliament

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MARCH 10 (The Bulletin) — Opposition activists in Armenia scuffled with police as they tried to block parliament and the country’s top generals called for PM Nikol Pashinyan to resign after he once again tried to sack Armenia’s most senior soldier. Last month, Mr Pashinyan said that he was facing a military coup after General Onik Gasparian called for him to resign. He then tried to sack Gen. Gasparian, although Armenian Pres. Armen Sarksian refused to sign off on the order. The Army and Mr Pashinyan blame each other for losing a war against Azerbaijan.

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— This story was published in issue 475 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on March 15 2021

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021

Uzbekistan rail company denies that Tashkent retreat was built for president

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MARCH 10 (The Bulletin) — Uzbekistan’s state railway company released a video that claimed that a luxury retreat built in hills outside Tashkent is for its employees and not for Uzbek Pres. Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The video is a response to a report released by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty which said that the complex had been built as a palace for Mr Mirziyoyev and that Uzbek Railways have been used to shield its real use.

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— This story was published in issue 475 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on March 15 2021

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021

Coronavirus cases are worsening in Almaty and Nur Sultan

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MARCH 10 (The Bulletin) — The Kazakh authorities said that coronavirus cases were worsening in both Nur Sultan and Almaty as it placed them both on its infection red list. Last week, the authorities had declared that the coronavirus was on the wane across the country. Nur Sultan and Almaty are the only cities in Kazakhstan on the red list.

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— This story was published in issue 475 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on March 15 2021